Is It Better to Be Over- or Underdressed?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
There’s no standard dress code for events any more, which always leaves me wondering: Is it better to overdress or underdress? At a film opening recently, two guys wearing baseball caps and chore jackets were the coolest people in the room. But the few times I’ve gone casual for an event, I’ve worried that I came off as impertinent at worst and out of place at best. Is there a right way to be underdressed? — Rachel, Brooklyn
This is like “Hamlet,” the S.N.L. version. You can just imagine a host wandering around a set crying, “to overdress or underdress, that is the question?” as they beat their breast and rend their doublet. In truth, there are two camps here.
On one side, there are those who hew to what could be called the school of Coco Chanel. The famous French designer believed it was always better to be underdressed and was fond of issuing such maxims as “Elegance is refusal” and “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”
On the other side are the heirs of Iris (Apfel), the geriatric influencer who died earlier this year. She lived her life according to the conviction that more is more: more prints, more bracelets, more fun.
Also in this camp is the designer Christian Siriano, who just made the purple pantsuit Oprah wore for her speech at the Democratic National Convention. “I truly feel that it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed,” he said when I asked. “I’m a designer who loves the glamour of it all, so for me there really isn’t a right way to be underdressed unless you are actually laying by the pool or at the beach.”
Even then, he said, the look should include “a fabulous big hat and bag.”
As with most belief systems, however, the choice between over- or underdressing is not really about which option is objectively better or worse; it’s about what is right for you. Either way, you may call attention to yourself, so consider whether you would rather do so for too much flamboyance or for a lack of formality.
And remember, ultimately what is going to make someone look right, whatever the purported dress code, is feeling confident in their skin. That’s what allows anyone to enter a room with their head up.
Between over and under, though, there is also a third way.
Call it the Balenciaga principle, as pioneered by the brand’s current designer, the mononymic Demna. This particular school of dressing involves what looks like casual clothing (jeans, T-shirts) that actually features couture-level workmanship and materials. Indeed, the last Balenciaga couture collection , in July, included what looked like ratty old concert tees but turned out to be shirts with hand-painted oils by the artist Abdelhak Benallou featuring images of members of the Balenciaga atelier as a heavy metal band.
That’s an extreme case, but many pieces of the “stealth wealth” trend could be lumped in the same category. Think of the Loro Piana cashmere baseball cap. Not to mention the sudden preponderance of haute jeans and chore coats. Every runway brand seems to have them.
It’s effectively trompe l’oeil casual, the fashion equivalent of the no-makeup makeup look, or having your cake and wearing it too. Because of the fabric and cut, luxury casual tends to look more … well, luxurious and expensive than casual casual. That means it allows wearers the cool of looking as if they had just tossed on any old thing, when almost as much work and decision-making may have gone into their garments as those of a person who appears to be overdoing it. Often the simplest pieces are the hardest to make.
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Meh, Coco Chanel was one of those women who could make a potato sack skirt look fabulous with a coal sack top.
Moi? Every morning I don a cleanish 10$ black T to match clean 10$ black boxers all of which is topped off with a 300$ black Fedora (ya gotta splurge somewhere). I'm in style from bedroom to bathroom ... not so sure on the return trip.
Ten years ago or so, I splurged on a black, felt, Tilley fedora. Great investment, still looks good a keeps me dry and warm on my work commute.
Tilley makes great hats ... a tad overpriced but they sure age well.
Now I have to go clothes shopping... I hate shopping.
There are cheaper Fedoras and you could buy black socks with the 'savings'.
I've knocked out a week's wardrobe in about 30 minutes before, but I pretty much wore the same thing for 30 years ...
Same here. Levi’s, cargo shorts, sweatpants, and all cotton plain tee shirts in every color. And since my wife loves to shop I don’t have to do a thing. My entire work wardrobe has dust on it ever since the pandemic.
my professional wardrobe has been in storage since the pandemic and I've lost another 50 lbs since. I'll savage all the polo shirts, but I'm afraid all my other fat clothes will be headed to goodwill.
James Carville was a panelist on Real Time with Bill Maher this week. He wore a hoodie, which is in line with his ultra casual style. I thought the stain on it was a bit much for being on tv.
my sales took off as soon as I swapped out the dress shoes for sneakers and ditched the ties back in the day ...
Imagine what coulda happened if you'd gone for sandals and a muscle shirt
Morning..or just plain budgie smugglers..sales would have gone through the roof..
Unfortunately not my photo...
I wore sandals all one summer. not recommended ...
that's barely enough of a snag to even sling off at. no wonder the sheilas throw themselves at yanks...
I was being polite.. we will take an Aussie life saver over a yank any day..sigh not my photos..
LMAO that's a new one on me. I woulda called that a banana hammock
Really? Now that I'm retired sandals are the only footwear for me in the summer, in fact I'm wearing one right now
those wankers don't like sheilas...
You're turning into a yobbo Vangy..🤣
not enough wall space inside the home for all the mirrors required by that mob...
I've had a few mornings like that back in the day...
I think people should get a little dressed up when they
attend a wedding or funeral
get on an airplane
go to a nice restaurant
go to a job interview
attend christmas or easter church services
other than those i dont care how people dress
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My best friend told me about someone who showed up in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts for a job interview. They didn't get the job.
True story:
One time I was on the plane waiting to fly home from Hawaii and I was already in my seat as they were boarding the last passengers. I had an aisle seat in regular economy class. One of the attendants came and asked if I was flying alone, which I was (the days before I was married). I was wearing a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. Standing across in the other aisle was a guy who didn't have a seat because the flight was oversold. He was wearing shorts and a tank top tee shirt and looked like he had just come in off the beach. A minute later the attendant came back and said they would like to move me to First Class. The guy who didn't have a seat started yelling at the attendant that he should get the First Class seat. The attendant told the guy: "You're not dressed appropriately for First Class".
That's the same trip where they also oversold my flight going to Hawaii and I got bumped to another flight 3 hours later. To make up for it, they gave me a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the U.S. that I could use within the next year. That took care of my next trip to Hawaii.
nice!
Yep.
Morning...sigh the stuff dreams are made of..
Going from cattle class to first class..
Being a fashion horse and on the cutting edge of fashion I prefer to overdress for all events.
I was invited to an after party of our theater group and went full regalia. Talk about making a statement.
Um sir, your feather is in my soup and now it's a salad.
Oh, sorry I'll grab it.
... red didn't think a loincloth was proper cocktail attire? too much for the massage recliner crowd with blue hair?
“I prefer to overdress for all events.”
Hear, hear. Still get my shirts laundered and starched and polish my shoes. But haven’t worn a necktie in years.
that's way overdressed for your county. did you recently buy an evangelical church franchise?
Option #3 -- Undressed.
Only if it's an invisible gold suit.